RASHMI KHANNA (BACKGROUND IN DANCE)

Rashmi is one of the founders and Vice President of Kalyani Kala Mandir Society. She underwent training from her Guru Smt. Kalyani Shekar in the Dandayudapanipillai style of Bharatnatyam for more than twenty five years and is continuing to do so.

Her expertise in Bharatnatyam has won her many Awards including the “Critic Circle Of India Award”, the “Sakha Award”, “Pride of the Nation Award” and the “Sarasalaya Award”. She also has many titles tucked under her belt, the important ones being the “Nritya Vidya Ratna” and the “Nritya Bharat Ratna”, bestowed upon her by leading dance institutions of Delhi and Chennai.

Her latest achievement has been the “Nav Kiran Award” recognizing her contribution towards the field of Classical Arts awarded to her during the 6th National Women’s Excellence Awards held in October, 2013, in New Delhi.

She has also been a scholarship holder to support her proficiency in Bharatnatyam from the ICCR, Sahitya Kala Parishad and the Ministry of Culture (HRD).

She has not only performed in all the important cities of the Country, including the Khajuraho Festival but also represented India in the Asian Youth Festival held at Seoul, Korea.

Aside from pursuing Bharatnatyam as a full time profession, she has also completed a Folk Dance course from Bal Bhawan, trained in Kathak, and learnt Modern Indian Ballet as well as Chhau from Shriram Bhartiya Kala Kendra. She has learnt Salsa, Jazz and Tap Dancing also from the Delhi School of music.

Rashmi has been an achiever and has fast prospered in her dance and has been recognized as a great artist by critics in publications, being graded as a Doordarshan artiste and been interviewed by Zee, Doordarshan, StarPlus and other networks.

She has received her initial training in Carnatic Music from Guru Smt. Vijaylaxmi Krishnan and has been a regular performer for the All India Radio. Currently, she is learning carnatic music under the tutelage of Guru Shri G. Elangovan.

Today, Rashmi is well known in the classical dance field as a reputed performer. Her achievement of the precision of technique, form and abhinaya in the field of Bharatnatyam as well as Creative Indian Dance is unparalleled and she herself is now immersed in the process of becoming an equally respectable Guru of the Dandayudapanipillai style of Bharatnatyam in the Capital.

Aside from her dedication towards dance, she is also a trained Special Educator specializing in Multiple Disabilities: Physical and Neurological, and has worked for children with special needs for many years in The Air Force Golden Jubilee Institute and later in Sanskriti School (where she continues to still teach voluntarily).